In recent years, some internal combustion engines to be mounted in a vehicle use an automatic stop/restart device (so-called idling-stop device) for the internal combustion engine mainly for the purpose of reduction in fuel consumption. The automatic stop/restart device for the internal combustion engine automatically stops the internal combustion engine when a predetermined automatic stop requirement is satisfied in accordance with a deceleration operation and a vehicle stop operation, which are performed by a driver who is driving the internal combustion engine. The automatic stop/restart device for the internal combustion engine automatically restarts the internal combustion engine when a predetermined restart requirement is satisfied in accordance with an acceleration operation and a vehicle start operation, which are performed by the driver.
The above-mentioned related-art automatic stop/restart device for an internal combustion engine has the following problem. For example, for the restart, when the driver performs an operation of starting the vehicle (restart request operation) while the internal combustion engine is rotating by inertia after being automatically stopped, there is a difference between a rotation speed of the internal combustion engine and a rotation speed of a starting device (for example, a starter). Therefore, the starting device cannot be driven until the internal combustion engine stops, which makes time to completion of the restart longer.
Further, the above-mentioned related-art automatic stop/restart device for an internal combustion engine cannot perform fuel supply or an ignition operation before the identification of cylinders of the internal combustion engine is completed in the restart operation after the internal combustion engine is stopped. Therefore, it takes long time to complete the restart. Thus, there is another problem in that the restart request operation by the driver cannot be dealt with.
In order to solve the problems described above, there is disclosed a technology of storing a crank angle at the time when the rotation of the internal combustion engine stops and injecting a fuel into a cylinder in accordance with the stored crank angle at the time of next start so as to start the internal combustion engine at early time (for example, see Patent Literature 1).